Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
by TurboLoverBOP
Summary: How far would Helena go to save Barbara?


**Desperate Times, Desperate Measures**

There aren't many times when I wished I was like someone else, but today I wish I could say what other people say...thank God it's Friday. That's the drawback of doing what I do, it's a non-stop job that doesn't come with holidays off or weekends to just sit around the TV and do nothing.

I step out of the elevator and look around, not finding anyone. "Barbara? Dinah?"

"Miss Helena, it's you."

I shoot Alfred a weird look as he enters the room. "Um, yeah. Who'd you think it was?"

"I thought maybe it would be Barbara. She had called a few hours ago to say that she was going to be late and to hold dinner until she arrived."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"One has learned over the years not to interfere or ask too many questions."

"So in other words, no." I sat down at one of the computers and played with a stress ball sitting on the desk.

"Let me know when she has returned. I will be in the kitchen."

I watched the old man leave the room and then heard Dinah's voice coming through my comm set. :: Huntress::

"I'm here, go ahead."

:: Where's Oracle? I've been trying to reach her for the past two hours. ::

"Not sure where she is. I was only told that she was going to be late. Everything okay?"

:: Yeah, just trying to finish math homework and need her help if I want to make it out on sweeps. ::

I'm not a huge fan of teaming up with Dinah on sweeps so I wasn't real sad to hear that she might not be able to tag along. "Well, I guess I'll just let you know when she gets back. Until then, good luck with that."

:: You're no help. I'll talk to you later. ::

I love pushing her buttons. Hell, I love pushing anyone's buttons.

I tapped my finger on the desk as I thought about what to do. I think this might be the first time Barbara hasn't been here to tell me what to do. Not that I need her to, it's pretty routine. But she's the brains of it all and mans the computers while I'm out there. I suppose I could do it alone if I had to.

Just as I get up I hear this loud, obnoxious siren coming from the computers. Then up on all of the monitors is a red flashing screen that says "alert."

Alfred came running into the room. "What did you touch, Miss Helena?"

"Nothing. I didn't touch anything. They just started wailing."

He played with the keyboards but suddenly a new image replaced the flashing red graphic. It was a man dressed in black, wearing a black hood that caused the shadow to conceal his identity. "I assume I have your attention," he said in a computer-altered voice.

"Who are you?" I asked, irritated by the intrusion.

"My name is unimportant. I have something of yours that I'm sure you will want back."

I had a funny feeling creeping around in my stomach and I swallowed hard as the camera panned over to a figure lying on the floor, bound and gagged and clearly beaten. "Oh my God," I exclaimed as I realized it was Barbara. "You mother..."

"Uh uh. I wouldn't be throwing any negative comments my way, Huntress. That is unless you want to see your precious little Barbara Gordon ever again."

"What do you want?"

"Three million dollars and the list of all Metas in New Gotham."

"The money, fine but the list..."

"So you're saying that her life isn't worth it?"

"Fuck you, don't you even suggest it!" I started to lose control and that's exactly what he wanted.

Alfred stepped in and gently pushed me aside. "I will have the money for you and the list. I will a few hours to do so."

"That's more like it. I guess I shouldn't have contacted a weak woman such as yourself, Huntress and should have gone to him instead. How pathetic that you let the butler negotiate your mentor's life."

I wanted to put my fist through the monitor in hopes of grabbing onto his neck. "Oh I'll show you how weak I am when we meet."

"Three hours and then we meet by the train station in old Gotham." The screen turned to black as he cut the connection.

"That son-of-a-bitch," I grumbled as I slammed my hand down on the table. "How does he know so much? He knows me and he knows you?"

"Helena, you need to stay calm and focused just as Barbara has always taught you in times of crisis such as this."

"Alfred, not for nothing but I've never really had to be in charge of a situation where Barbara's life depended on it, so I think I reserve the right to be a little pissed off." I walked away from him and started pacing.

"Very well then," he said flatly as he took a seat behind the computer and began typing away.

"You're not seriously going to give him the list?!?"

"Miss Helena, do you really think I would do such a thing. I may be old but I am far from being senile."

I guess I had to give the old guy some credit. "Sorry, I'm...I'm just..."

"It's quite alright. I am worried about Miss Barbara myself."

I looked at my watch as Alfred worked on the file. "Can you finish it in time?"

"Not with you looking over my shoulder."

I nodded and kindly backed off. "I'll be in the training room blowing off a little steam. Let me know when it's finished."

I took off my jacket and tossed it on the floor as I shut the door. I honestly didn't know what to do when I got in there, my system was overloaded with emotion, so I just paced and chewed on my thumbnail - visions of Barbara's beaten form flashing in my mind. My blood started to boil at the thought of him putting his hands on her in such a violent way. I just hoped he didn't...

WHAM!!!!

I struck the bag with a vicious kick and followed it with a barrage of punches - my knuckles quickly began to bleed and burn as the skin was shaved away by the rough texture of the bag. I stopped and hugged it, sobbing like a baby. The thought of losing Barbara would surely kill me and no doubt send me over the edge. I know that she'd taught me never to kill, but if she were to be killed I don't know that I'd ever be able to control my anger enough not to become a killer. I have a hard enough time trying to control it now.

I wiped my tears away with the back of my arms and then laid on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. My knuckles were throbbing and all I could think of was how they were going to be throbbing even more once I pounded this guy's face in.

"Miss Helena," Alfred called out as he opened the door, "The file is complete."

I got up from the floor and walked towards him, extending my hand to take the file. He frowned at the site of my bloody hand. "Don't even say it," I said as I took the disk and tucked it in the waistband of my leather pants. "What about the money?"

"I am going to get the money right now. Your father..."

I held my hand up, "No need to explain, I know who it's coming from." I wiped my hands on a towel and put my jacket back on.

"I figured you would not want to come along so I will meet you on the corner of 7th Avenue in two hours." I nodded and started to walk out of the room but he began talking again. "Do we have a plan B?"

"I have a plan B, C and even a D and they all involve kicking this guys ass." I could see the disapproval on his face. "Don't worry, he's not going to get away with it and don't even think he's getting away with three million dollars." I didn't wait for him to comment, I walked out of the room and left the Clocktower.

**_OLD GOTHAM TRAIN STATION_**

Alfred had given me the suitcase full of money. Part of me didn't even want to be touching it because it was my father's money, but Barbara's life was at stake.

I walked over towards the old ticket booth and waited. Suddenly, I saw a young boy approaching. He handed me a note and quickly ran away. Opening it up, it read "Car number 6." I shoved the note in my pocket as I walked towards the decrepid trains that were rusted and rotted, standing on the tracks with no place to go. After a few minutes I found number 6 and I cautiously walked inside.

"That's far enough," a male voice said from the other end of the car. I could barely see him as he was dressed completely in black.

"Where's Barbara?"

"Patience, Huntress."

"I want to make sure you brought her or else you're going to have a huge problem." I heard a loud thud and immediate saw Barbara lying on the floor of the train car. Her hands were bound behind her back and she was blindfolded. I couldn't ignore her whimpers of pain and distress. I instinctively started to go towards her but stopped when I heard him take the safety off his gun.

"Stay right where you are, no quick movements like that again. Now, where's the money and the list?"

I tossed the suitcase onto the seat next to me and put the disc on top of it. I put my hands up in front of me and walked towards Barbara. "You've got what you wanted, now I'm taking what I want."

He started to laugh. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"

Suddenly he started firing at me. I leapt to the side to avoid the on-coming bullets and used the seat as a shield. Lucky for me the seats were thick enough to keep the bullets from penetrating. I could feel him coming closer and I knew I had to make a quick decision. I sucked in a breath and dove to the floor. Bringing my legs up, I kicked the gun from his hands and then kicked him in the face, sending him backwards. I grabbed Barbara and layed her down on one of the seats at the front of the car. "It's okay," I assured her before moving to the back of the car to have a little go-round with him. But when I looked around he was gone, and so was the money and the disc. I touched my finger to my ear, "Alfred. Track his signal and meet me at the corner. I've got her."

:: Thank God. I'll be there in a moment.::

I took the blindfold off of her and felt my breath catch as I saw the dark bruises covering her face, not to mention the dried blood. Her eyes opened slightly and locked onto mine. "H...Hel..."

"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe now." I brought her close to me and hugged her, trying desperately not to lose it. "I'm gonna get you home." I slung her over my shoulder, wincing as I heard her moan in pain, and quickly got her out to where Alfred was waiting with the car. Gently, I loaded her into the back and laid her down across the seat. "I'm going after him. Where is he?"

"Miss Helena, let him go. The money was not real."

"What?!?" I wanted to punch his lights out when I realized he'd sent me in there with a suitcase full of Monopoly money.

"Just let him go."

I shook my head. This wasn't about the money. "Look at her face and what he did to it. Look at the tracker and tell me where he is!"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "54th."

I barely heard the "th" coming out of his mouth because I started running. I ran and ran until the night air practically burned a hole through my lungs. When I reached 54th street I searched the entire area and was growing angrier by the moment as there was no sign of him. That was, until I heard mumbling coming from an narrow alley to my left. I walked to the mouth of the alley and watched as he was taking the money out of the suitcase and shoving it into his pockets. When he was finished I was there to greet him when he stood up. "Going somewhere?"

"Huntress. I should have known you'd find me."

"Really? I figured you thought I was some kind of bumbling idiot considering the way you talked to me earlier, calling me weak and all. I think I should show you how weak I am. Shall I?" I didn't give him time to answer, I just lashed out with a flurry of punches to his face and forced him back against the wall where I got my foot under his chin and dug it into his adams apple.

He smiled at me as he wrapped his hands around my ankle in an attempt to lessen the pressure. "I take it you're upset with me?"

I pressed harder. "Ya think?" I took my foot away from his neck and shoved it in his stomach, doubling him over. I reached over and pulled the hood off his head to reveal his face and it froze me where I stood. "Wade?"

"Sorry, Huntress," he said as I saw a quick flash of silver and then felt a sharp pain in my right thigh. He buried a knife deep, twisting it for good measure and sending me down to the ground. "I used this on Barbara too. And who says size doesn't matter?"

I yelped in pain but managed to move away from him. I kicked up with my left leg and caught my boot under his nose, snapping his neck backwards. He fell to the ground and I could hear the nasty wet crack of his skull hitting the pavement.

Everything was still.

All I could hear was my heavy breathing and my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

I nudged him with my foot from where I was lying on the ground and he didn't move. I managed to get up and walked over to him to get a better look. His eyes were wide open but he was lying in a pool of blood that seeped out from the back of his head. There was no question that he was dead.

I could hear the faint sound of sirens in the background so I disappeared into the night.

Back at the Clocktower, I entered the lab and found Dinah and Alfred tending to Barbara's wounds.

"Helena!" Dinah gasped as she took note of the knife protruding from my thigh. "How did you make it back here?" she asked as she helped me up onto a table.

"It wasn't easy," I grimaced. "How is she?"

"She's stable. She will need a lot of rest, he did quite a number on her," Alfred said as he handed a damp cloth to Dinah and motioned to Barbara. "Let's take a look." He gently assessed the damage to my thigh and took care of it as Barbara would have done. It felt strange to have someone else tending to my wounds. "I assume you found him."

"Yeah. It was Wade."

"What?!?" Dinah hissed.

"He used her. He gained her trust and then used her. She got close to him and look what he did."

"So...what happened to him?"

Alfred placed a bandage over the stitches, smoothing it with his finger. I got down from the table, ignoring the throbbing pain. "I killed him," I said flatly as I walked back to the elevator.

"Helena!" Dinah yelled as she followed me.

"There's nothing more to say." I got into the elevator. "Call me when she wakes up," I said as the doors slid closed.

My whole body felt numb and I felt like I was in a haze. I didn't intend to kill him but I ultimately did just that. It was something I couldn't take back and something I would have to live with forever. But he hurt someone I care an awful lot about. Hell, he nearly took her life. I don't know how I'm going to tell her. For now I'm just going to go home and get completely wasted so I can't feel or think about anything.


End file.
